Welcome to Hogwarts
by Lizzy88
Summary: Back when the Weasley twins were in their first year, they had another good friend other than Lee Jordan; Ellie Moonstone. This story is about their adventures together at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
1. Chapter 1

1

I yawned, staring out the window of the Hogwarts Express. I was beginning my first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but I was feeling far from nervous. My entire family, which consisted of nearly fifty wizards and witches, had been in Gryffindor, so I was almost positive I would be too.

Not to say I wasn't a bit scared of meeting other people. I had never had the best social skills and I usually stuck to myself. I sighed, closing my eyes, hoping against hope that my compartment would stay empty until the train reached the Hogwarts station.

I must have fallen asleep, because my eyes were jolted open by a loud bang as my compartment door was flung open. Two tall, red headed boys entered, pulling beaten-up, peeling trunks. They were identical down to the last freckle.

"Hello!" One of them beamed at me. "Do you mind if we kip in here? We were thrown out of our old compartment."

I nodded my consent, wondering why on earth they had been thrown out of their ex-compartment.

"We're Fred and George Weasley." They said in unison, holding out their hands. I took them one at a time, them shaking rather more enthusiastically than was needed.

"Ellie Moonstone." I told them. "Going into my first year."

"Us too!" George ejaculated. Fred nodded. "Nice to meet a fellow beginner. Seems everybody else we've met is either a prefect, a head boy or girl, or a conductor."

"That's because you were bugging Percy, so he set his friendly minions on you." They both busted up.

"Percy?" I asked.

"Our older brother." Fred explained. "His life ambition is to become Minister of Magic. He aims too low, that one." He added sarcastically.

I grinned. Never had I met a jollier pair. The rest of the train ride passed quickly as they told me about their family, their inventions, their goals and dreams.

"We want to open a joke shop." They told me, pulling out handfuls of Doctor Filibuster's Fabulous Wet-Start, No Heat Fireworks, and dung bombs from their pockets.

We arrived at Hogwarts after dark, so we couldn't see much of the scenery out the compartment window. All I could make out was the gigantic silhouette of a man holding a lantern out on the platform, and the blurred shadows of people exiting the train.

"Well, let's go." Said George, grabbing his trunk. It was only then I noticed they each were carrying identical mesh cages, inside which was a large, cream-colored puffball.

"Oooh!" I exclaimed. "You've got puffskeins!"

"Yeah," Fred held his up so I could see. "Not really useful or anything. Wish I had an owl." He glanced wistfully at my barn owl, Jodie, who was asleep in her cage. "You can borrow her anytime." I said. They both grinned thankfully, their ears going bright red.

We stepped onto the platform, almost colliding with the enormous man I had noticed out the window. He was even bigger up close, with a wild black beard and friendly, beetle-black eyes.

"Hello you three. First years?"

We nodded. He pointed towards a lake, where about twenty small rowboats were docked. "Right then, over there. Four to a boat."

We scurried over and settled into the nearest one, trying hard not to tip it. I was suddenly overcome with nerves. What if I wasn't in Gryffindor? What if I was put in Slytherin, the house that had turned out more dark wizards than any other? Fred and George Weasley looked nervous too. They were both fidgeting and biting their lips.

A boy in dreadlocks joined us in our boat soon afterward, looking just as anxious as I felt. "Lee Jordan." He introduced himself, looking at our pets in awe. "Wow. What _are _those things?" He pointed at the twins' puffskeins. While Fred and George explained I looked out over the black lake. It looked very deep. Other first years were clambering into boats nearby, struggling with their trunks. I watched a boy with a toad slip, and drop his pet into the water with a splash. "Crud!" He cried, trying to fish it out of the water. The toad swam straight for our boat. I reached down to snatch it and, SPLASH! I toppled headfirst into the icy water, flailing as I went under. I felt something long and slimy wrap around my ankle, and I kicked out, trying desperately to get to air.

"Help!" I screeched as I surfaced, before sinking down again. I sunk lower and lower, panicking when I still did not hit bottom. I had been right; the lake _was_ very deep. I felt many arms grabbing me, pulling me to the surface. I gasped as I broke the water, coughing and sputtering. The gigantic man, Lee Jordan, and Fred and George Weasley were all dragging me back into the boat.

"T-thank you!" I sobbed, realizing, with a jolt of embarrassment, that I was crying. I dabbed at my eyes with my already sopping robes, sniffling.

"What in the world were you doing, Ellie?" Fred asked in disgust. "Nearly scared us to death!"

"I was t-trying to get that b-boy's t-toad." I snuffed. The big man smiled down at me. "Here yeh are." He said gruffly, shrugging off his huge overcoat. I took it gratefully, feeling almost instantly warm.

"Thanks."

He chuckled. "No problem. I'm Hagrid, by the way." He stretched out a dustbin lid-sized hand. We shook. Then he stumped over to another boat, which he had all to himself, because of his bulk. At Hagrid's command, the fleet of boats began moving smoothly across the lake.

"Here comes Hogwarts!" called Hagrid over his shoulder shortly. We all held our breath then… There was a great collective "Whoa!" from everyone. Hogwarts castle stood before us, turrets and windows glinting in the dark, it's many towers and bridges strangely intimidating and noble. Hagrid docked the boats and led us all up large stone steps to a huge door. He knocked three times and stepped back.

A stern-faced woman in sweeping robes of emerald green opened the door. She did not look like a woman who would put up with nonsense.

"Thank you, Hagrid. First years follow me!" And she started up the long entrance hall. She stopped before another pair of closed doors.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. I am Professor McGonnagal. In a moment you will be led into the Great Hall to be sorted into your House. There are four houses. Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, and Slytherin." On the last name George Weasley stuck out his tongue.

"While you are at Hogwarts you House will be like you family. You can lose and earn you House points for you achievements and rule-breaking." She looked sternly down at everyone. "I hope those of you who end up in my House, Gryffindor, will never be caught rule-breaking."

Fred and George tried hard to look innocent.

"Follow me." Professor McGonnagal opened the doors and led us through.

The Great Hall was beautiful. Floating candles hung over our heads, The Hogwarts crest emblazoned banners hanging from the ceiling, and the ceiling itself was bewitched to look like the sky outside. Four tables, one for each House, were filled with people in their robes. I felt very embarrassed walking in Hagrid's giant overcoat, my hair soaking.

We were led to the front of the Hall, where a very tattered old hat stood on a stool. I knew that this was the sorting hat. It could see everything inside my head. Professor McGonnagal explained about the sorting hat and then pulled out a long list of names. But the hat wanted his introduction. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth and he sang.

_Welcome to Hogwarts, it's name you know, of course you do, just goes to show, _

_But did you realize, before your time, that the founders of this school of mine, _

_Did hatch a plan, a daring one, to teach you children, and every one. _

_They came together and they taught, and now their names won't be forgot._

_Brave Gryffindor, who loved the bold and loyal,_

_Sweet Hufflepuff who cherished hard work and toil,_

_Sly Slytherin, who fed on fibs and lies,_

_And good Ravenclaw, who favored the wise._

_They came together, fancy that, _

_And created, me, the sorting hat!_

_So put me on your head and see, _

_So I can tell you where you ought to be!_

The hat's song ended to tumultuous applause. Professor McGonnagal now took out her list again.

"Abercrombie, Lisa!" She called. Lisa scrambled onto the stool and jammed the hat on her head.

"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat roared, and the second table erupted as Lisa rushed over to sit down.

"Adam, Jacob!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Baton, Rita!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Baton, Luke!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"I thought twins were always in the same House?" I said to the twins, who were looking sick with fear.

"Usually are, but not always." Fred informed me as Clemmins, Rose went to Hufflepuff. And so it went, down to Lilia, Jennifer (SLYTHERIN!)

Then I was called. "Moonstone, Ellie!" I stood rooted to the spot. Fred pushed me forward. My knees shook as I sat on the stool. I pulled the hat on.

A small weedy voice in my ear chuckled. "_Oh-ho! Another Moonstone. It's been a while. Hmmm, courage, brains, oh, yes, and steel… I think we'll go with… _GRYFFINDOR!!" The hat bellowed the last word out and I stood, grinning with relief as I hurried for the Gryffindor table. The twins gave me the thumbs up as I went past. I didn't really pay attention until the "W's"

"Weasley, Fred!" Fred swaggered up to the stool, trying, and failing to look perfectly at ease. The hat screamed almost as soon as it hit Fred's head.

"GRYFFINDOR!" Looking faint with relief, Fred whipped the hat off and came over to sit down next to Lee Jordan and I.

"Weasley, George!"

"GRYFFINDOR!" Fred and I cheered along with the rest of the Gryffindors as George joined us.

After the sorting, Dumbledore stood. He was tall with a sweeping white beard long enough to tuck into his belt.

"Welcome!" He called. "You must all be hungry, so our announcements can wait. Tuck in!"

The golden plates adorning the tables suddenly filled with food. Chicken and corn, and steak, and pasta, and meatballs, and potatoes, and peas, and corn and pudding, and pies, and tarts. It was all delicious. The feast was over and the food gone far too soon as Dumbledore stood up and silence fell.

"Let it be known that the Forest on the grounds is forbidden to all students. And our caretaker, Mr. Filch, would like me to inform you that all joke products such as fireworks, dung bombs, fanged Frisbees, and other such things are henceforth banned."

I snuck a look at Fred and George, who were rolling their eyes.

"Also, I would like to welcome our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Rican. Welcome Professor, and good luck." Everyone clapped politely for a tall, graying wizard with long hair and an earring.

"Well, that's that, so off to bed all of you!" Dumbledore clapped his long-fingered hands. The Gryffindor prefects stood and called out. "Gryffindors this way please, Gryffindors this way!" The twins, Lee Jordan, and I all stood and followed the prefects up many staircases and through many corridors and past beautiful paintings that moved, and great suits of armor that waved as we hurried by. The entrance to the Gryffindor common room was a large painting of an immensely fat lady in a pink dress.

"Password?" She asked. The prefects turned around to face us.

"The password is 'Treacle". Now, the passwords change every now and then, you will be informed when they do."

The fat lady swung forward as the prefect said the password, revealing a cozy looking circular room filled with several large, squashy armchairs, and a fire crackling merrily. After being given directions to our dormitories, we all traipsed upstairs. I was suddenly feeling exhausted.

"Night, Fred, George." I called as we went our separate ways.

"Night." They replied, stifling yawns. I went into my dormitory to find my trunk and Jodie already there. My new four-poster looked very comfortable, and I collapsed into it without changing. I had had enough adventure for one day. Little did I know, every day I spent with the Weasley twins would be filled with adventures, some greater than this one.


	2. Chapter 2

2

At breakfast in the Great Hall the next morning, Fred and George were talking excitedly about Quidditch.

" It's got to be Ireland." Fred was saying.

"Naw, Brittan won against France last year, they're going to beat Ireland."

"Oh, hey Ellie!" They looked up, spotting me. "Come and sit down."

I did, nearly flattening a grey, ruffled-looking owl. "Oops!" I cried, jumping up again.

"Oh, that's Errol, our family owl. He's absolutely useless unless you want a feather duster."

I giggled, setting the owl on the table, and helped myself to some sausages.

"Hello." A girl from my dormitory was sitting down in the seat next to me. Her long blonde hair was up in a ponytail. She was very pretty.

"I'm Alicia Spinnet."

"Ellie Moonstone."

"Fred Weasley."

"George Weasley."

Alicia smiled. "I couldn't help hear you talking about Quidditch." She admitted, going red. "I'm a big fan. I think it's going to be Ireland."

I shook my head. "Brittan." And so began a heated discussion about Quidditch. We became so involved that we didn't notice Professor McGonnagal was moving along the table, handing out course schedules. I took mine, glancing over at Fred's and Alicia's. We had the same classes. So, I noticed, looking over my plate, did George.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts first." Said Alicia. "Should be interesting. Then there's Transfiguration with McGonnagal, Herbology, and double Potions." Fred's jaw dropped. "You're kidding. _Double _Potions? I heard Snape is really mean."

The Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom was four floors above us, so we finished breakfast hurriedly, then raced upstairs to get our things. By the time we reached the classroom we had just made it, bursting in seconds before class started. Professor Rican looked up, his mouth twitching.

"Sit down." He instructed. We took our seats, breathing hard.

"Please take out your books." There was a loud rummaging and scuffling as everyone pulled their books out.

"Turn to page one, read the summary on defensive spells, then continue into the chapter. When you have finished, please write a one-paragraph summary on what you learned to be turned into me at the end of class."

The rest of the period was spent in silence as everyone read and composed their essays. When the ball rang we raced off along the hall towards Transfiguration. But along the way Fred suddenly stopped. We were near a very ugly statue of a humpbacked witch.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Dropped my quill. Hang on a second." He rummaged around the base of the statue for a while before whistling softly.

"What?" asked Alicia, squatting down next to him.

"Look." He pointed at a hinge on the witch's hump. "A door?" He glanced around before looking up at the rest of us.

"Let's come back tonight."

We nodded, our eyes glinting with excitement. A secret passage? Where did it lead?

"We'd better get going to McGonnagal." Lee pointed out, checking his wristwatch. We scurried up the corridor, trying not to look too guilty or walk too quickly.

Transfiguration was very hard. Professor McGonnagal was quite strict, and gave everyone a talking-to before beginning the lesson. We were supposed to be making our earthworms yellow, but all I managed to do was accidentally knock it off the desktop.

Everyone was very grumpy and annoyed when they left the classroom, especially George.

"Can't believe it." He grumbled. He had somehow managed to explode his worms, sending worm guts all over himself and Fred. Fred was not too pleased. Neither was Professor McGonnagal.

The next class was Herbology out in the greenhouses. We all stomped out of the castle onto the grounds, still whining about our Transfiguration failures. Herbology was with the Ravenclaws. The teacher, Professor Sprout was a dumpy little witch covered in mud and compost. She was very friendly and enthusiastically showed us inside greenhouse one, where she introduced us to the enormous Flutter Bloom plant, which had hundreds of flapping, moving blossoms.

"Lovely plant, the Flutter Bloom." She heaved it onto the table so we could see properly.

"Petals can cure the babbling draught if stewed properly, and when blended with some other potion ingredients can create a very powerful love potion. Now, everyone take a pair of clippers." She gestured a dirty-gloved hand at a pile of garden shears. " And cut as many blooms off as you can."

The rest of class was spent trying to rid the Flutter Bloom of it's lively blossoms. But the Flutter Bloom seemed very keen to keep it's flowers. It thrashed and shook, and the petals flapped furiously whenever we tried to clip them. The class finally filed out of the greenhouse sweaty and covered in mud, exhausted, and headed lunch in the Great Hall.

Over his potpie, Lee Jordan asked the twins "Do you still want to do it tonight?"

They nodded stubbornly. When lunch was over we all headed for potions, which was located in the dungeon.

Fred Weasley had been right; Professor Snape was very mean. He sneered at the Gryffindors as soon as they entered, staring down at them with his beady eyes. Snape was greasy-haired, sallow-faced, and the Head of Slytherin House. We unpacked our ingredients from our bags and set them out, taking our places by our cauldrons. The room was silent under Snape's penetrating gaze.

"To test how much you know about the subtle art of potion making you will be creating this potion; the Sleeping Solution. Get to work!"

Everyone hastily looked up at the board where Snape had written the ingredients and steps for making the potion.

"Moonstone!" Snape barked, catching me by surprise as I whispered to Alicia if I could borrow her silver knife.

"Yes, Professor?"

"Did I ask you to talk?"

"No Professor, but I-"

"Silence!" He hissed. "A point will be taken from Gryffindor." He stalked off. I ground my teeth. The Slytherins were talking, but Snape wasn't docking points from them. Soon Snape loomed over Fred and George's cauldrons, which were very old, and full of rust holes. Potion was leaking from George's.

"Weasley, can you not see properly?"

George looked up, his freckled face sweaty. "Sorry?"

"This potion is seeping all over my classroom floor!" He shrieked. "Clean it up, and another point from Gryffindor."

Fred made an angry voice in the back of his throat, which Snape thankfully did not hear. All throughout class Snape swept about, criticizing and punishing the Gryffindors, but turning a blind eye on what the Slytherins were up to.

"What a git!" snarled Fred as we left the dungeons, "What an evil, vile, loathsome git!"

We headed for our dormitories, still seething.

"See you soon." The twins called as Alicia and I went inside.

After everyone in our dormitory was asleep, Alicia and I crept out onto the landing. Fred, George, and Lee were already there.

"Come on!" George stage whispered, leading the way down the spiral staircase. We hurried out the portrait hole and scurried down the corridor, trying our best to be silent. The dark castle was home to all sorts of things best avoided; Ghosts, Filch the caretaker, and Filch's cat, Mrs. Norris. We tried to be quiet, but now and then we tripped or coughed, then we had to race off in the opposite direction in case Filch came snooping around. We finally reached the statue of the humpbacked witch. Ever so quietly, Fred snuck up and tried to open it. Nothing happened. He pulled on the groove. Still it did not budge. Gritting his teeth, Fred threw his weight against the statue. Nothing. Disappointed and depressed, but still on our guard, we hurried back to the Gryffindor common room.

The next few days passed quickly and uneventfully, unless you counted Fred exploding a Filibuster firework in the common room and catching his robes on fire. Though the rest of us had pretty much forgotten it, the twins kept bringing up the subject of the witch statue.

After lunch one day, Fred and George decided to have some fun. Urging me to stay close to enjoy the show, they hurried into the crowded entrance hall, pulled some dung bombs out of their pockets, and dropped them. It was absolute chaos. Students ran everywhere, holding their noses and dropping their books, teachers rushed out of their classrooms, and Peeves, the school Poltergeist, zoomed over everyone's heads, cackling and adding to the madness. Soon Filch and Mrs. Norris were on the scene. Spotting Fred, George and I laughing, he raced up and snarled. "Come with me." We stopped laughing at once. We hurried after him, exchanging dark looks. We were in for it now. Filch's office was small in dingy, with beautifully polished chains hanging from the ceiling.

"Sit down." He wheezed, pulling out some parchment. I did so, and looked around. Along the walls were many filing cabinets filled with things Filch had confiscated from students. Fred and George were glancing at the cabinets too. I saw Fred nudge George, point at a cabinet that said Confiscated and Highly Dangerous, and hand him something small. Trying not to smile, I looked back at the oblivious Filch. "Now then, for your punishments," He was saying. But that's as far as he got. With a loud bang, George dropped whatever Fred had handed him, which turned out to be another dung bomb. Putrid smoke filled the room, and amongst the chaos, I saw Fred run to the cabinet and whip something out of it. We raced for the door, the twins howling with laughter.

Safely back in the Gryffindor common room, Fred showed us what he had stolen. I seemed to be an ordinary piece of old parchment.

"Maybe it has secret powers." Suggested Lee Jordan when we showed it to him. "Try saying some random phrases and tapping it with your wand."

So that's just what we did. The longer we tried, the more ludicrous the phrases became. They went from "Reveal your secret." To "Open or I'll kill you." Finally, in desperation, Fred asked his older brother, Percy, how to make things reveal their secret contents. Hypothetically, of course.

"Some you have to enchant to reveal your secret." He said pompously. "But others you have to solemnly swear what you are up to."

Fred rolled his eyes. "Like that will help." But we tried anyway. Laughing, Fred tapped the parchment with his wand and cried. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good!" Then he gasped. Spreading like spider webs across the parchment were words written in green ink.

_**Messers Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs Proudly Present**_

_**The Marauder's Map.**_


End file.
